November reflections of an MIB student

There’s a core of activities that is shared by all Fletcher students regardless of degree program, but the precise features of daily life do differ a bit. Here, first-year MIB student, Vincent, tells us about his early months in the program.

I can’t believe it’s only been three months since I started at the Fletcher School. I began the MIB program in mid-August with a Strategy pre-session, and it already feels like a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then — I’ve met so many amazing people, and I’ve learned so much. For the purposes of the blog, I’ll tell you about my experiences to date and my expectations for what lies ahead.

My experiences at Fletcher up to now have all been extremely positive. As an MIB student, I have to take three core courses this semester, and each one of those classes has opened a door for me on the world of business. I have a background in the private sector, and my first few months of learning have complemented and built upon my experience. In two of our business classes, “Foundations in Financial Accounting and Corporate Finance” and “Financial Statement Analysis,” we are really learning the practical side of how a business works. Theory is always there, but it’s more about making decisions and understanding what is going on.

My other core course is called “Global Political Economy,” and it’s excellent. What I didn’t know about the interactions and history of state players and external forces in trade negotiations could fill a book. I thoroughly enjoy this class and the perspective it’s giving me on international affairs and business. This is exactly the kind of course that separated Fletcher from the other schools I considered.

Now, what do I expect for the coming months? Well, it’s exam time soon enough, so there will be a lot of studying. But the strangest aspect of all is that, two months from now, I’ll be doing four totally new courses. I know I’ll be taking a region-specific course in French, and probably a course on international negotiation. Thankfully, I’m now well adjusted to the world of academia so I no longer have a “deer in the headlights” look about me as I walk the Hall of Flags. It’s certainly been quite a change to go from the working world into school. There’s no hiding out in meetings here. The more you put into Fletcher — pre-work and team projects — the more you get out of it.

Lastly, it sounds cliché, but there is a real community here. There isn’t a day that goes by when my 30 MIB classmates aren’t cracking jokes or talking about their many incredible adventures in far-flung reaches of the globe — the range of their experiences is immense. The things I’m learning from my MIB and MALD classmates could fill a couple of courses! This has been the biggest and best surprise of all.

First of all thank you for your questions. I’m happy to know what I’m writing is sparking some thought!

Hopefully I’ll answer each of your questions adequately.

The type of friendships I’ve made feel lasting and are certainly diverse. Almost every friend I’ve made has a different connection with me. Some are on personalities, some are on experiences and others are on interests. It’s hard for me to elaborate on a general sense, but I think some brief examples may be a better way — so each of the examples below is about people I know, who’ve known each other for only three months…

-Some people are now trekking across Colombia together for the winter break
-Some people are involved in innovation project, hoping to get a business plan off the ground
-Some are hosting weekly poker games
-Many people hosted others for Thanksgiving

For me personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to someone I’ve met about any question I may have — be it about business, career, school or personal.

My class is very fun. Serious is certainly everyone’s backbone, but fun and friendships and helping others come first. I would say people are just effective at getting done what needs to be done, and then making sure they make the most of the time they have here, either within the class or with the other people at the School.

My class I think is 50/50 men/women and 50/50 US/Non US. (The MIB office can give you specifics if you want them). In terms of experience, it’s very diverse for circa thirty individuals… Think tank/Marketing/NGO/ Finance/Consulting/Entrepreneurs/Operations. Your question about business school students is a hard one for me to answer. Each B-school class is so different. I know a lot of B-school students and graduates and they are all across the board. With regards to Fletcher, I think the students in my class don’t stick out at Fletcher, we are all in numerous different classes with other MALD students and our view on the world is pretty much in line.

As for your last question — I’m from Cork! (and there’s one other guy from Dublin).

Hope this helps, and feel free to send more questions to me, or Kristen Zecchi in the MIB admissions office, if you would like to know more.